A
photo of seaweed. While it's not specifically classified as limu
kohu, they both have similar characteristics.

(Picture taken with permission
from unitedstreaming.)

Seaweed. Paul
Fuqua. 2005. unitedstreaming. 7 February 2006

Limu
Kohu

Hawaiian Name:Limu KohuScientific Name: Asparagopsis taxiformis

Limu Kohu is a soft, small seaweed used as a condiment
in many Hawaiian meals. It is either pink or dark red, and its stem
gives way to a densely branched furry top. Limu Kohu is
an important source of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium,
and iodine, and an important source of vitamins, such as vitamins
A, C, B12, and riboflavin.

How limu
came to be a large part of the Hawaiian diet is unknown. It may
have resulted from the many kapu (taboo) restricting women’s
eating, for they may have turned to sea plants and animals as alternative
nutrition sources. The limu gathering and preparation were
women’s responsibility; in fact, they used to be experts on
limu. Limu Kohu was collected at low tide from
the reef or gathered as drift deposits after a storm. Limu Kohu
was not gathered in winter because of the heavy seas, so it was
heavily salted and stored in small covered bowls to preserve it
during the winter months.